Search Results (150)

This study evaluated the impact of precision feeding and bump feeding strategies during gestation on the reproductive performance of sows monitored over three cycles. Four treatments were compared: two constant-concentration feeding strategies (0.53% standardized ileal digestible lysine content; SID Lys) with the feed supply remaining constant (flat feeding; FF) or variable (bump feeding; BF) and two precision feeding strategies based on the InraPorc model considering performance by parity (precision feeding per parity; PFP) or the weight of each sow at breeding (precision feeding by individual; PFI). Sows were followed over three gestation and lactation cycles. In the first cycle (n = 502), the birth-to-weaning piglet mortality for PFP (8.7%) and PFI (10.3%) was lower than for BF (13.8%), with FF (11.3%) being intermediate (p = 0.001). No differences were observed in litter performance during the second cycle (n = 340). During the third cycle (n = 274), the stillborn rate was lower for PFP (6.2%) than for BF (9.1%) and FF (10.4%), with PFI (7.0%) being intermediate (p = 0.01). The BF strategy did not significantly improve sow or litter performance during lactation. Meanwhile, precision feeding could reduce nitrogen (10–13%) and total phosphorus intake (6–9%) with PFP and PFI strategies. Also, the results showed that it could even reduce piglet mortality during lactation. Full article

The rapid growth of e-commerce has transformed customer behaviors, demanding deeper insights into how demographic factors shape online user preferences. This study performed a threefold analysis to understand the impact of these changes. Firstly, this study investigated how demographic factors (e.g., age, gender, education) influence e-customer preferences in Serbia. From a sample of n = 906 respondents, conditional dependencies between demographics and user preferences were tested. From a hypothetical framework of 24 tested hypotheses, this study successfully rejected 8/24 (with p < 0.05), suggesting a high association between demographics with purchase frequency and reasons for quitting the purchase. However, although the reported test statistics suggested an association, understanding how interactions between categories shape e-customer profiles was still required. Therefore, the second part of this study considers an MCA-HCPC (Multiple Correspondence Analysis with Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components) to identify user profiles. The analysis revealed three main clusters: (1) young, female, unemployed e-customers driven mainly by customer reviews; (2) retirees and older adults with infrequent purchases, hesitant to buy without experiencing the product in person; and (3) employed, highly educated, male, middle-aged adults who prioritize fast and accurate delivery over price. In the third stage, the clusters are used as labels for Machine Learning (ML) classification tasks. Particularly, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Decision Tree (DT), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were used. The results suggested that GBM, RF, and SVM had high classification performance in identifying user profiles. Lastly, after performing Permutation Feature Importance (PFI), the findings suggested that age, work status, education, and income are the main determinants of shaping e-customer profiles and developing marketing strategies. Full article

Thousands of particle number (PN) counters have been introduced to the European market, following the implementation of PN tests during the periodic technical inspection (PTI) of diesel vehicles equipped with particulate filters. Expanding the PN-PTI test to gasoline vehicles may face several challenges due to the different exhaust aerosol characteristics. In this study, two PN-PTI instruments, type-examined for diesel vehicles, measured fifteen petrol passenger cars with different test protocols: low and high idling, with or without additional load, and sharp accelerations. The instruments, one based on diffusion charging and the other on condensation particle counting, demonstrated good linearity compared to the reference instrumentation with R-squared values of 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. However, in a considerable number of tests, they registered higher particle concentrations due to the presence of high concentrations below their theoretical 23 nm cut-off size. The evaluation of the different test protocols showed that gasoline direct injection engine vehicles without particulate filters (GPFs) generally emitted an order of magnitude or higher PN compared to those with GPFs. However, high variations in concentration levels were observed for each vehicle. Port-fuel injection vehicles without GPFs mostly emitted PN concentrations near the lower detection limit of the PN-PTI instruments. Full article

Background/Objectives: The rise and spread of antimicrobial resistance complicates the treatment of bacterial wound pathogens, further increasing the need for newer, effective therapies. Azoles such as miconazole have shown promise as antibacterial compounds; however, they are currently only used as antifungals. Previous research has shown that combining azoles with quaternary ammonium compounds yields synergistic activity against fungal pathogens, but the effect on bacterial pathogens has not been studied yet. Methods: In this study, the focus was on finding active synergistic combinations of imidazoles and quaternary ammonium compounds against (multidrug-resistant) bacterial pathogens through checkerboard assays. Experimental evolution in liquid culture was used to evaluate the possible emergence of resistance against the most active synergistic combination. Results: Several promising synergistic combinations were identified against an array of Gram-positive pathogens: miconazole/domiphen bromide, ketoconazole/domiphen bromide, clotrimazole/domiphen bromide, fluconazole/domiphen bromide and miconazole/benzalkonium chloride. Especially, miconazole with domiphen bromide exhibits potential, as it has activity at a low concentration against a broad range of pathogens and shows an absence of strong resistance development over 11 cycles of evolution. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insight into the possible combinations of imidazoles and quaternary ammonium compounds that could be repurposed for (topical) wound treatment. Miconazole with domiphen bromide shows the highest application potential as a possible future wound therapy. However, further research is needed into the mode of action of these compounds and their efficacy and toxicity in vivo. Full article

Rising costs, complex supply chain management, and stringent regulations have created significant financial burdens on business sustainability, calling for new and rapid strategies to help enterprises transform. Supply chain digitalization (SCD) has emerged as a promising approach in the context of digitalization and globalization, with the potential to reduce an enterprise’s debt costs. Developing a strategic framework for SCD that effectively reduces the cost of debt (CoD) has become a key academic challenge, critical for ensuring business sustainability. To this end, under the perspective of four flows, SCD is deconstructed into four distinct features: logistics flow digitalization (LFD), product flow digitalization (PFD), information flow digitalization (IFD), and capital flow digitalization (CFD). To precisely measure the four SCD features and the dependent variable, COD, publicly available data from Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises such as annual report texts and financial statement data are collected, and various data mining technologies are also used to conduct data measurement and data processing. To comprehensively investigate the impact pattern of SCD on CoD, we employed the explainable machine learning methodology for data analysis. This methodology involved in-depth data discussions, cross-validation utilizing a series of machine learning models, and the utilization of Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) to explain the results generated by the models. To conduct sensitivity analysis, permutation feature importance (PFI) and partial dependence plots (PDPs) were also incorporated as supplementary explanatory methods, providing additional insights into the model’s explainability. Through the aforementioned research processes, the following findings are obtained: SCD can play a role in reducing CoD, but the effects of different SCD features are not exactly the same. Among the four SCD features, LFD, PFD, and IFD have the potential to significantly reduce CoD, with PFD having the most substantial impact, followed by LFD and IFD. In contrast, CFD has a relatively weak impact, and its role is challenging to discern. These findings provide significant guidance for enterprises in furthering their digitalization and supply chain development, helping them optimize SCD strategies more accurately to reduce CoD. Full article

The cultivation of horticultural plants in controlled greenhouse environments is a pivotal practice in modern agriculture, offering the potential to enhance crop productivity and mitigate climate change effects. This study investigates the biomechanical properties and lignin content of various Capsicum annuum mutant lines—‘fragile-plant’ (frx), ‘tortuous internodi’ (tti), and ‘puffy-structured stem’ (pfi)—in comparison to a commercially established variety, ‘Garai Fehér’. We employed the acetyl bromide method to quantify lignin content and conducted three-point bending tests to assess rigidity in three distinct regions of the stem. Gene expression analysis of key lignin biosynthetic pathway genes (PAL, C4H, 4CL, CCoAOMT, CAD) was performed using qRT-PCR. The results revealed significant differences in lignin content and breaking force among the genotypes and stem regions. The tti mutants exhibited similar lignin content to the control but lower breaking strength, likely due to elongated internodes. The frx mutants showed uniformly reduced lignin content, correlating with their fragile stems. The pfi mutants displayed abnormally high lignin content in the top region yet demonstrated the lowest stem rigidity in every region. Overexpression of CAD and CCoAOMT was detected in the mutants in specific regions of the stem, suggesting alterations in lignin biosynthesis; however, we could not confirm the correlation between them. Our findings indicate that while lignin content generally correlates with stem rigidity, this trait is complex and influenced by more factors. Full article

Paulownia species not only have significant economic benefits but also show great potential in ecological conservation. However, they are highly susceptible to phytoplasma infections, causing Paulownia witches’ broom (PaWB), which severely restricts the development of the Paulownia industry. Salicylic acid (SA) plays a crucial role in plant disease resistance. However, there have been no reports on the effect of SA on PaWB. Due to the properties of SA, it may have potential in controlling PaWB. Based on the above speculation, the prevention and therapeutic effect of SA on PaWB and its effect on the PaWB-infected Paulownia transcriptome and proteome were studied in this work. The results indicated that 0.1 mmol/L was the optimal SA concentration for inhibiting the germination of Paulownia axillary buds. In terms of resistance physiological indicators, SA treatment significantly affected both Paulownia tomentosa infected (PTI) seedlings and Paulownia fortunei infected (PFI) seedlings, where the activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were enhanced. Malondialdehyde (MDA), O₂⁻, and H₂O₂, however, were significantly reduced. Specifically, after SA treatment, SOD activity increased by 28% in PFI and 25% in PTI, and POD activity significantly increased by 61% in PFI and 58% in PTI. Moreover, the MDA content decreased by 30% in PFI and 23% in PTI, the H₂O₂ content decreased by 26% in PFI and 19% in PTI, and the O₂⁻ content decreased by 21% in PFI and 19% in PTI. Transcriptomic analysis showed that there were significant upregulations of MYB, NAC, and bHLH and other transcription factors after SA treatment. Moreover, genes involved in PaWB-related defense responses such as RAX2 also showed significant differences. Furthermore, proteomic analysis indicated that after SA treatment, proteins involved in signal transduction, protein synthesis modification, and disease defense were differentially expressed. This work provides a research foundation for the prevention and treatment of PaWB and offers references for exploring anti-PaWB methods. Full article

Ovarian cancer (OC), particularly high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), is a leading cause of gynecological cancer mortality due to late diagnosis and chemoresistance. While studies on OC cell lines have shown that overexpression of the ATP7A membrane transporter correlates with resistance to platinum-based drugs (PtBMs) and cross-resistance to copper (Cu), clinical evidence is lacking. The functionality of ceruloplasmin (CP), the main Cu-transporting protein in the blood, is dependent on, among other things, ATP7A activity. This study investigated ATP7A expression and CP levels as potential biomarkers for predicting responses to PtBMs. We included 28 HGSC patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). ATP7A expression in ovarian and peritoneal tissues before NACT and in peritoneal and omental tissues after NACT was analyzed via qPCR, and CP levels in ascites and plasma were measured via ELISA before and after NACT. In total, 54% of patients exhibited ATP7A expression in pretreatment tissue (ovary and/or peritoneum), while 43% of patients exhibited ATP7A expression in tissue after treatment (peritoneum and/or omentum). A significant association was found between higher ATP7A expression in the peritoneum before NACT and an unfavorable CA-125 elimination rate constant k (KELIM) score. Patients with omental ATP7A expression had significantly higher plasma mean CP levels before NACT. Plasma CP levels decreased significantly after NACT, and higher CP levels after NACT were associated with a shorter platinum-free interval (PFI). These findings suggest that the ATP7A transporter and CP have the potential to serve as predictive markers of chemoresistance, but further research is needed to validate their clinical utility. Full article

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents the deadliest form of brain cancer, characterized by complex interactions within its microenvironment. Despite the understanding of GBM biology, GBM remains highly resistant to any therapy. Therefore, defining innovative biomarkers in GBM can provide insights into tumor biology and potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we explored the potential of GPRC5A to serve as a pertinent biomarker for GBM. We utilized the GBM-TCGA dataset and presented the reproducible bioinformatics analysis for our results. We identified that GPRC5A expression was significantly upregulated in GBM compared to normal tissues, with higher levels correlating with poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free interval (PFI). Moreover, it was associated with key genetic mutations, particularly NF1 and PTEN mutations, and strongly correlated with the mesenchymal stem-like phenotype. GPRC5A was also predominantly associated with aggressive GBM features, including hypoxia, high extracellular matrix (ECM) environments, and extensive stromal and immune infiltrations. Its strong correlation with mesenchymal markers and hypoxic regions underscores its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target in GBM. These findings provide valuable insights into the role of GPRC5A in GBM pathology and its potential impact as a target for GBM stratifications and treatment strategies. Full article

Sodium chlorate is the most popular compound used to study spontaneous symmetry breaking by means of crystallization. Therefore, it is important to know the behavior of the solid particles. NaClO₃ crystal growth and dissolution are investigated in an aqueous sessile droplet subjected to numerous temperature cycles. On cooling, in addition to the classical formation of repeated elongated fluid inclusions, there is a reproducible appearance of prismatic fluid inclusions (PFIs) at the corners of single crystals. The underlying mechanism involves the complete termination of the (110) face growth and the propagation of the {100} faces, which can close the PFIs. This study reports that on heating, transient donut-like single crystals formed, which could lead to their segmentation, even without stirring the suspension. The systematic addition of other sodium salts with chlorine atoms at different oxidation states did not change these observations. Full article

In February 2020, a fourth parity sow gave birth to a litter of piglets with four piglets presenting pox-like skin lesions. Lesions were distributed over the whole skin surface and ulcerative lesions were also observed on the mucosa of the oral cavity. The skin lesions were described as looking like pox lesions. Virological and histopathological investigations confirmed congenital suipoxvirus infection. Since there is no effective treatment available, the farmer was recommended to improve hygiene. No further cases occurred after this single event. In the past, suipoxvirus infections were mainly related to improper hygiene conditions and to pig lice as vectors. Today, conventional pigs are usually kept under good hygienic conditions and pig lice are not reported anymore to occur in Austrian conventional pig farming systems. Therefore, we speculate, that other living vectors, such as the stable fly, may play a role in the transmission of suipoxvirus between and within farms and in the occurrence of congenital suipoxvirus infections in neonatal piglets. Full article

This study evaluated the significance and predictive value of ultrasonographic and physical examination on arrival at an Austrian fattening farm. Treatment frequency and average daily weight gain (ADG) were related to physical and ultrasonographic examination results. Additionally, the effect of an intranasal vaccination in half of the examined calves was studied. The clinical and ultrasonographic health status 600 calves was recorded at the beginning and end of fattening. Half of the calves received an intranasal vaccination (Bovalto^® Respi Intranasal). Overall, 44.5% showed an abnormal respiratory scoring (RS) and 56.0% showed signs of respiratory diseases in transthoracic ultrasonography (TUS) at arrival on the farm. For both RS and TUS, a categorization between ILL and HEALTHY was conducted. Results showed lower ADG in ILL calves (RS median: 0.93 kg/d; TUS median: 0.96 kg/d) compared to HEALTHY calves (RS median: 1.01 kg/d; TUS median: 1.01 kg/d). The median ADG was lower in not treated and ILL calves (RS median 0.90 kg/d; TUS: 0.93 kg/d) compared to treated and ILL calves (RS median 1.01 kg/d; TUS: 1.02 kg/d). Vaccination did not affect growth performance or occurrence of ILL, though treatment frequency was lower in VAC calves (17.0% in NVAC; 11.3% in VAC). The implementation of examination protocols for respiratory diseases may have a positive impact on production parameters (e.g., treatment frequency and ADG). Full article

Optimizing the design of the top compression ring holds immense importance in reducing friction across both traditional Internal Combustion (IC) engines and hybrid power systems. This study investigates the impact of alternative fuels, specifically hydrogen and CNG, on the behavior of top piston rings within internal combustion (IC) engines. The goal of this approach is to understand the complex interplay between blow-by, fuel type, material behavior, and their effects on ring friction, energy losses, and resulting ring strength. Two types of IC engines were analyzed, taking into account flow conditions derived from in-cylinder pressures and piston geometry. Following ISO 6622-2:2013 guidelines, thick top compression rings made from varying materials (steel, cast iron, and silicon nitride) were investigated and compared. Through a quasi-static ring model within Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), critical tribological parameters such as the minimum film and ring friction were simulated, revealing that lighter hydrogen-powered engines with higher combustion pressures could potentially experience approximately 34.7% greater power losses compared to their heavier CNG counterparts. By delving into the interaction among the fuel delivery system, gas blow-by, and material properties, this study unveils valuable insights into the tribological and structural behavior of the top piston ring conjunction. Notably, the silicon nitride material demonstrates promising strength improvements, while the adoption of Direct Injection (DI) is associated with approximately 10.1% higher energy losses compared to PFI. Such findings carry significant implications for enhancing engine efficiency and promoting sustainable energy utilization. Full article

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are well known for their oncogenic or anti-oncogenic roles in cancer development. AGAP2-AS1, a new lncRNA, has been extensively demonstrated as an oncogenic lncRNA in various cancers. Abundant experimental results have proved the aberrantly high level of AGAP2-AS1 in a great number of malignancies, such as glioma, colorectal, lung, ovarian, prostate, breast, cholangiocarcinoma, bladder, colon and pancreatic cancers. Importantly, the biological functions of AGAP2-AS1 have been extensively demonstrated. It could promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells. Simultaneously, the clinical significances of AGAP2-AS1 were also illustrated. AGAP2-AS1 was exceptionally overexpressed in various cancer tissues. Clinical studies disclosed that the abnormal overexpression of AGAP2-AS1 was tightly connected with overall survival (OS), lymph nodes metastasis (LNM), clinical stage, tumor infiltration, high histological grade (HG), serous subtype and PFI times. However, to date, the biological actions and clinical significances of AGAP2-AS1 have not been systematically reviewed in human cancers. In the present review, the authors overviewed the biological actions, potential mechanisms and clinical features of AGAP2-AS1 according to the previous studies. In summary, AGAP2-AS1, as a vital oncogenic gene, is a promising biomarker and potential target for carcinoma prognosis and therapy. Full article

Background: Several studies suggest that environmental and climatic factors are linked to the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases; however, it is still unclear which are the most influential ones. This study sheds light on the potentiality of a data-driven statistical approach by providing a case study analysis. Methods: Daily admissions to the emergency room for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are jointly analyzed with daily environmental and climatic parameter values (temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide). The Random Forest (RF) model and feature importance measure (FMI) techniques (permutation feature importance (PFI), Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) feature importance, and the derivative-based importance measure (${\kappa }^{ALE}$)) are applied for discriminating the role of each environmental and climatic parameter. Data are pre-processed to remove trend and seasonal behavior using the Seasonal Trend Decomposition (STL) method and preliminary analyzed to avoid redundancy of information. Results: The RF performance is encouraging, being able to predict cardiovascular and respiratory disease admissions with a mean absolute relative error of 0.04 and 0.05 cases per day, respectively. Feature importance measures discriminate parameter behaviors providing importance rankings. Indeed, only three parameters (temperature, atmospheric pressure, and carbon monoxide) were responsible for most of the total prediction accuracy. Conclusions: Data-driven and statistical tools, like the feature importance measure, are promising for discriminating the role of environmental and climatic factors in predicting the risk related to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Our results reveal the potential of employing these tools in public health policy applications for the development of early warning systems that address health risks associated with climate change, and improving disease prevention strategies. Full article